These “Stars of New England” are easy to distinguish from other asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), because their flowers are larger in size and have more numerous narrow ray florets. It is also sometimes called the Michaelmas Daisy because it is still in bloom during the feast of Saint Michael (September 29). A third common name is the frost flower because it continues to bloom until frost. As such, the flowers are an important source of nectar for late season pollinators, especially Monarchs as they stock up for their fall migration to Mexico.

Dozens of cultivars have been developed, with variations of plant size and flower color. One of the most common questions that I get about natives are whether cultivars are as valuable to wildlife as the straight species. As with many things, the answer is “it depends”. Cultivars of native plants are sometimes called “nativars” and are denoted with extra names in quotation marks after the name on plant labels. In general, the straight species is always the best choice. But in cases where that isn’t available, there are two things to consider. 

The first is the foliage that caterpillars and other larvae depend on for food. One study from the Tallamy lab indicated that the only thing that consistently deterred insect feeding was changing the color of the foliage. This is likely because red or purple leaves have increased levels of anthocyanins which act both as pigments and as feeding deterrents. In short, they taste bad. Second, pollinators depend on accessing pollen and nectar so anything that changes the shape of the bloom is best to avoid. Double blooming varieties make nectaring and pollination basically impossible. Altering flower color may affect how attractive it is to certain pollinators that use color and contrast as cues for finding flowers. Some studies have shown that cultivars (like a New England aster variant with pink blossoms) attract significantly fewer bees and butterflies, but there are cultivars where the opposite seems true as well.

Straight species are generally better than nativars but nativars are probably always preferable to non-natives. And with stunning natives like the New England aster available at your local native nursery, the choice is easy!

Bloom Time: August - October

Height: 3'-6' H

Cultivation: Native Virginia perennial. Full to part sun, medium, well drained soil. Prefers moist, rich, slightly acid soil. Can be aggressive.

Pollination: Pollinated by long-tongued bees, bee flies, butterflies and skippers. While some asters can self pollinate, this species requires cross pollination to develop fertile seeds. Larvae of many moths feed on various parts of this and other asters. Larval host for pearl crescent and checkerspot butterflies.

Other Wildlife: Songbirds and small mammals eat the seeds. Wild turkey eat seeds and leaves to a limited extent. Deer and rabbits occasionally browse, but New England aster is not a preferred food source.